Army: 17 terrorists dead after failed attack on Pakistani troops

(CNN) -- Violence has flared again in northwest Pakistan, where terrorists attacked army troops and two militant groups announced an alliance intent on starting a war against security forces.

Pakistani army spokesman Asim Bajwa said in a statement Saturday that close to 60 terrorists struck security forces in Khyber Agency, a region west of Peshawar that borders Afghanistan.

The two sides waged a lengthy battle, after which 17 militants were dead while others managed to escape, Bajwa said.

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

The region has long been a hotbed for armed anti-government activity, not to mention U.S. drone strikes targeting suspected terrorists.

The Pakistani Taliban has been one of the most destabilizing forces in the Asian nation. In a statement, the outlawed organization threatened to foment more unrest as it announced it will send fighters to Khyber Agency and join forces with the militant group Lashkar-i-Islam.

There, the allied forces plan to wage war with Pakistani authorities, according to the statement.